


You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown

by ticktockclockwork



Series: Nurseyweek [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Baking, Bonding, Derek appreciation, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Nurseyweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 03:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9639302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticktockclockwork/pseuds/ticktockclockwork
Summary: It had been Nursey's idea from the start.--ForNurseyweekday 2: Surprise or Simplicity.





	

It had been Nursey’s idea from the start.

One day he'd gone into the kitchen to find Holster complaining at the kitchen table, Bitty standing nearby. Holster was distraught because Bitty hadn't been able to make his favorite pie for midterm week, a complicated chocolate caramel cream pie. He was lamenting how he'd fail now, how his chi was thrown off, how he'd never live another day and though Nursey could see that Holster was just being dramatic for the sake of being dramatic, when Nursey looked at Bitty's face he could see it was striking some nerve.

Neither men had noticed Nursey there so he continued to watch silently as Bitty floundered, coming up with excuses. The chocolate wasn't good at the store, caramel didn't cook properly at this time of year, the pie dough was too dry. Each time he got close to the real reason why the pie hadn't been made, he skittered away and came up with some other excuse.

Except Nursey figured it out.

He hadn't made the pie because he hadn't been able to afford the ingredients.

Bitty, just like most of them, was a broke college student. Sure, a lot of his ingredients were paid for with sin bin money but it went to other things as well. Dex had taken to fixing up the Haus so a lot of the money went to those projects. Even with Jack's surplus in fines, the sin bin wasn't ever full anymore. And of course, Bitty wouldn't ask for the money from them. He might get mad about it, but he'd never ask for the money.

Now, Nursey knew they weren't _all_ poor. He himself was comfortable with both his mothers in very well paying jobs. He also knew Shitty, for as much as he looked like a hobo, had like six trust funds to his name. They'd both been born with silver spoons in their mouths. But he didn't want to make Bitty feel like a charity case and he didn't want anyone to feel obligated to give money, especially if they didn't have it.

So he set up another jar. It was wide mouthed and slightly smaller than the sin bin and it was named “Haus Food Fund”. He didn't make a show of setting it up but he did make sure to dump his change in there when he came into the house after going to Annie's, or to stuff a twenty in on weekends.

Slowly the rest of the inhabitants of the Haus started doing it as well. Nursey doubted they even realized it, but when he was beating Ransom at Mario Kart one day he could see Chowder toss a couple dollar bills in there, and Lardo always dropped her loose change in on her way to the studio. Jack always stuffed a wad of cash when he came to visit too. It became habit for everyone. The sin bin still got it's fair share of hits, though Nursey could tell they didn't call Jack and Bitty out as often, or Chowder and Farmer. Nursey watched balance settle over their little ecosystem and something loosened in his chest.

He didn't live here yet, but this was his home and he warmed to see it thrive.

It was a few months later when Bitty finally confronted him.

Nursey was alone in his dorm room, music playing as he revised a short story he'd written for one of his lit classes. It was early afternoon on a Tuesday so when the knock came to his door, he was surprised. Most people had class right now. Except Bitty.

Who was standing at his door.

Holding the most beautiful looking sugared pear tarte Nursey had seen in a long while.

Bitty was smiling knowingly as he waited for Nursey to register that he was still standing in the hall. “May I come in?” He asked politely, his smile evident.

Nursey nodded. He stepped back to let him in then pointed to the tarte, looking up to Bitty. “Is that for me?”

Bitty nodded.

“It looks just like how-”

“Your momma makes it? Yeah… it's her recipe.” Bitty smiled softer, warmer, and Nursey felt his throat tighten. “I got their numbers off the Haus emergency contacts list. They thought I was calling to tell them you'd gotten hurt again.” He chuckled here then handed over the tarte. “Anyways, this is for you.”

Nursey took it, but was still a bit speechless. His mom was the only one he knew who made tartes like this and she didn't make them often. They were simple in their ingredients but complicated on their design. His mother made them as a show of her surgeon's hands, with the thinly sliced pears laid out just right. Bitty's were a little thick but they were arranged beautifully. “Why-”

“I know it was you.” Bitty explained so softly. “Who set up the food jar. I recognized your handwriting from the poems you let me read last semester.” And that touched something else in Nursey’s chest that felt oddly like 'acceptance’ and ‘family’. “I- ah… lord, this was easier on paper.”

“You wrote down what you wanted to say?”

“Yeah it's, uh, it's a thing. That I do. It helps.” Bitty replied, cheeks flushed. “Anyways. I ain't always the best at askin’ for help when I need it. And I don't expect people to just notice, because that's not fair. But, uhm. You noticed. And you didn't say anything. You just helped. And I, uhm. I just wanted to say thank you. And maybe give you a hug? And tell you, uhm, you're a good man Derek Nurse. A real fine person. And I, uhm. I appreciate you. As a teammate. And as a friend.” Bitty finished, his hands twisting a little where they were clasped in front of him.

Derek was not ashamed to say that he felt like crying. No one had ever said that to him before, had struck so deeply to his core. He'd been told he was cool, that he was awesome and fun and chill. But no one had ever approached him like this, one man to another and told him he was a good _person_.

“Thank you.” He murmured, clearing his throat when it constricted over the words. He set the tarte down carefully over his short story on his desk and turned back to Bitty. He waited only a moment before opening his arms. “You mentioned… you mentioned a hug?”

Bitty let out his own wet laugh and nodded, stepping forward to grip right around his middle. Derek rubbed his back and then hugged him tight, lifting him off his feet to draw a laugh out of the other. He was feeling lighter than he had in ages. “Do you wanna stay and eat some of this with me?”

“Oh sweetheart, no, that's okay. That's a special one just for you. I want you to get to eat it all.” Bitty settled back and smoothed down his shirt, smiling. “'sides, your momma warned me you might cry when you eat it? And I figure you might want some privacy for that.” Bitty chirped and Nursey had to laugh.

“Good call. I'll uh, maybe I'll swing by tonight to hang out at the Haus?”

Bitty smiled warmer. “That sounds good. It’s chili night. And I made drop biscuits.”

“With cheddar cheese?”

“Of course honey, I know how you like them.”

Nursey's throat tightened once again though he didn't try and fight it, walking Bitty out with a wave and a smile.

_Family._ He was part of one, on and off the ice. And it wasn't separate from his family back home. As he took his first bite of the tarte, and yes, shed a tear, he couldn't help thinking maybe they were one in the same. A family here and a family there. Loved in both.

And well, wasn't that something.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so I really wanted to play with some teammate bonding here. I'm always super fascinated in the relationships between the characters we don't see interact that often.
> 
> I'm also a sucker for people being recognized for their actions? And for Derek being appreciated for who he is. I think he becomes a trope a lot and I wanted to explore a different side of him.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Come chatter with me about junk on tumblr @ [ticktockclockwork](http://ticktockclockwork.tumblr.com)


End file.
